


no more need for amber

by inlovewithimpossibility



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Family Feels, Family Reunions, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:42:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24395215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: A year ago, Oliver and Felicity's world was torn apart. The happy and peaceful life they built was suddenly thrown into turmoil when their seven-year-old daughter, Mia, was taken from them. When what was starting to feel like a fruitless search suddenly brings her home, can they go back to the way things were or will the scars of the past year prove too deep to heal?
Relationships: Felicity Smoak & Mia Smoak, Oliver Queen & Mia Smoak, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, William Clayton & Felicity Smoak, William Clayton & Mia Smoak, William Clayton & Oliver Queen
Comments: 90
Kudos: 157





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, welcome to my newest multichapter! This one's a little different, as you can probably tell from the title and summary. 
> 
> This is a precursory warning that this fic will be dark, it will deal with trauma and resulting side effects of that trauma, including PTSD and panic attacks. There is no direct description of any in this chapter and any direct description will always be prewarned within these author's notes so please make sure you read them on each chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy, please let me know if you do by leaving a kudos and/or comment. I would really like to hear your feedback on this one!

The back room of the bunker is cold and empty.

The harsh concrete floor and walls offer no sense of homely warmth and any noise echoes around the space like a boomerang. A single cot sits in the back corner, the sheets constantly disturbed across the thin and uncomfortable mattress.

When Oliver got custody of William and he bought that apartment just three blocks from City Hall, he had been so sure that he put the days of sleeping in this uncomfortable room behind him. That move had been the start of something so much bigger. That apartment was the first he and Felicity shared as a married couple and it was where they and William grew to become a family.

By the time Mia was born and then Lucas after her, Oliver never considered he’d be practically living in this room ever again.

That is, until everything changed.

The past year has been the most hellish that Oliver has ever experienced. Every day he awakens with a heavy feeling on his chest that he cannot shake. Every day brings in the reminder that he’s failed. He’s failed his daughter who he always swore to protect. He’s failed his entire family.

He can’t save her. He doesn’t know how.

His precious Mia, his most wonderful miracle, just gone.

And he’s seemingly incapable of doing anything about it.

He deserves this cold room, the back ache that comes from sleeping on the cot, and the inescapable loneliness that seeps through his bones at so many days away from his wife. He deserves it because he knows that it’s probably far better than wherever his daughter is right now.

Every day, he wakes up with resolve that this will be day he brings his baby girl home and every day, he falls asleep in the early hours of the morning feeling like a failure all over again.

Today is no different. He’s spent the hours trawling the streets, searching in every nook and cranny that they may have missed. His body passed exhaustion months ago, he runs purely on sheer will now, and he is determined he will bring his baby home, no matter how long it takes.

As he sinks down onto the cot, his tired muscles jump at the sound of his phone ringing.

The days of his phone ringing for non-essential purposes also ended the day Mia was taken. The only time anyone calls or texts now is for an update or to tell him he needs to be somewhere.

When he moves to look at who it is that’s calling, he sighs heavily when he sees that it’s Dinah.

“I’m not closing the investigation, Dinah. We’ve been through this.” He states immediately upon answering. It’s an argument they’ve been having with the police department for months now, seeing as new leads are running very dry and Mia’s been missing for an entire year. They want to close the case, announce Mia as a missing person presumed dead, but Oliver is not budging.

They’re going to find her.

They will.

“Oliver, that… that’s not why I’m calling. It’s… it’s Mia. We have her.”

There’s clear disbelief in the police captain’s voice but Oliver doesn’t pay it much attention as her words make him freeze.

Could it be?

Could this possibly all be over?

Could his baby really be home?

“You… What? Where?” Oliver finally stutters out, his heart beating painfully loudly in his chest. His entire being starts to thrum with energy, feeling more alive than he has in months at the prospect of finally being able to lay eyes on his baby girl again.

“Someone brought her into the precinct, dropped her by the door whilst she was asleep. She’s alive and she seems okay but John’s taken her to the hospital, just in case. We figured it was the right thing to do.” Dinah explains and Oliver blinks, driving his overgrown nails into the skin of his thigh to check that he’s not dreaming.

She’s really home.

Mia.

His baby.

She’s okay.

He can’t believe this is real.

“Yeah, I… I’ll be there right away.” He nods, already standing and reaching for his jacket and car keys.

“Good.” Dinah answers and Oliver freezes, his brow furrowing as his mind immediately goes to the rest of his family.

“Um... have you…? Felicity…” He stutters out, not wanting to seem like he kept her out of the loop on this. If anyone deserves to see Mia first, it’s his wife who has been fighting tooth and nail all year to bring her home. 

“Anastas called her.” Dinah confirms and Oliver breathes a sigh of relief, nodding his head.

“Good.” He answers before hanging up the phone and rushing towards the garage. His body thrums with more energy than he’s had in months and for the first time since Mia went missing, his mind feels clearer, happy even.

And whilst it’s something he needs to see to believe, he’s very open to finally letting that happy feeling in after so much sadness and pain.

* * *

For Felicity, she feels like she’s lost all concept of time.

She feels the air change and it could be an hour or a month, she wouldn’t be any the wiser.

All that matters is Mia.

She doesn’t know how long she spends in the chair in her home office each day. All she’s aware of is typing, hacking, doing anything she can to try and triangulate a location or any information as to where her baby girl might be.

She sleeps in here most nights too. The couch over by the window is comfortable enough and doesn’t hold the memories of far more positive times like her and Oliver’s bedroom does. Being in there without him feels strange and yet being _with_ him at the moment just incites a whole host of emotions she doesn’t have time to explore.

They have to find Mia.

She often finds herself wondering how much she might have grown. She’s always been small for her age, tiny even, but it’s been a whole year. She shot up almost a foot between six and seven and to think that Felicity has missed that this year… it makes her heart ache in a way she cannot even describe.

It’s the small things like that she misses the most. Hearing Mia laugh in the mornings or complain about going to bed early. Hearing her and William teasing each other or her bossing Lucas around as they play together.

The idea that she might possibly be gone forever…

It’s just unthinkable.

So, Felicity spends her days at this desk, getting any information she can and looping it back to the team and the police. It helps her to stop the grieve and guilt from consuming her, to put her skills to use and try to _do_ something about it.

It’s the early hours of the morning and she’s working through the night, following a small lead she thinks she may have gained when her phone starts to ring.

She freezes at the sound, it’s not a very common one anymore.

Before Mia was taken, her phone would be constantly ringing. Things at work, Oliver checking up on her, William updating her on his day, the team saying hi. Now with Alena having taken over at Smoak Tech as interim CEO, her and Oliver only really speaking when necessary, William in the same house looking after Lucas, and the team focused on Mia as well, the only time it rings is with an update.

Which is why she launches towards it.

“Felicity? It’s Anastas.” The voice speaks immediately when she answers and she frowns.

“What’s going on?” She questions, registering the odd tone to his voice. This is clearly not a route call. It’s far too early in the morning and she can hear that the detective is clearly out of breath and in shock.

“It’s Mia, we found her.”

Felicity freezes at the words she’s been waiting to hear for a year.

Mia.

She’s home.

They found her.

“You… what?” She stutters out, shaking her head as she blinks and tries to force her clouded and exhausted mind to focus.

“Well technically someone brought her to us but John’s taking her to the hospital as we speak.” Anastas explains and Felicity sits back in her seat, everything in her relaxing as she lets the weight of this wash over her.

She’s home.

She’s safe.

She’s _alive._

Felicity hadn’t allowed herself to entertain the thought of anything less but the fear that they’d one day find her only for it to be her body was real.

This is her daughter, her flesh and blood. The baby she grew inside of her. The infant she nursed for so many long nights. The toddler she picked up every time she fell down. The girl whose hair she braided and sang lullabies to in order to convince her that the monsters in her bed weren’t real.

She has dreamed of this day for a year. Prayed to every deity she can think of that it would come. Stared for hours at photos and videos of her daughter and sobbed as she realised that she was starting to forget the sound of her baby’s voice.

But she’s home.

She’s safe.

She’s _alive._

“Felicity, are you okay?” Anastas asks and his voice breaks Felicity out of her stupor.

“Yes, I… I need to go…” She blinks, sitting up with a deep breath.

“Of course. Paediatric ward, okay?” The detective tells her and Felicity swallows thickly, nodding her head before she remembers that Anastas cannot see her.

“Yes. Thank you.” She tells him with a frown before the line goes dead.

Mia.

Her baby.

She can’t believe it.

This is all she’s wanted, worked for, for over a year.

She needs to see her to believe it.

Immediately she stands, her legs shaky from sitting for so long and the emotions coursing through her body but she forces herself to ignore it, scooping up her phone and a jacket as she heads out of the office.

“Fliss?”

She jumps at the sound of a voice. In her haste, she completely forgot that she’s not alone in the house. William, dressed in a t-shirt and pyjama pants, is stood at the entrance to his room, looking at her with a concerned frown on his face. He clocks her jacket and frowns, tilting his head as his frown deepens.

“Hospital, now. They found her.” Felicity tells him simply, unable to form any other words. William’s mouth drops open, the papers he’s holding in his hands falling to the floor.

“Seriously? Mia? She’s…?” William questions with a gasp, looking at Felicity with a hopeful yet anxious look.

“She’s coming home.” Felicity confirms and she cannot stop the smile that spreads across her face and the tears that form in her eyes.

“I’ll get Lucas, you start the car.” William tells her and Felicity nods her head, swallowing thickly and blinking back the tears before she rushes off towards the front door.

The next ten minutes pass in the dizziest blur. William loads a sleeping Lucas into his car seat and they take off flying towards the hospital. She doesn’t even take in running from the car to the ward, all she’s aware of is the world slowing down around her as she approaches where her husband is stood by the door to a private room.

“Felicity, I…” John starts from where he’s stood across from Oliver but Felicity ignores him, immediately turning towards the open door of the hospital room.

Sure enough, there, sat on the crisp white sheets of the medical cot, is Mia.

Everything around her fades away as Felicity takes her in. The sounds of the hospital, the voices of the doctors and nurses, the business of people rushing here and there… all of it disappears.

All that matters is that little blonde in her eyesight.

She looks exactly the same and entirely different at the same time. Her long blonde hair is almost to her hips now and is pulled back into a matted braid, looking as if it’s been left untouched for weeks or even months. Her cheeks are sunken, her bright blue eyes looking even starker by the dark circles under her eyes and the overall scant look of her small face. Her frame looks entirely different too, not that Felicity can see too much because of the hospital gown drowning her small body. The distinct definition of muscle that’s clear on her legs and arms that certainly wasn’t there before has her frowning though before she blinks and realises exactly what this means.

She’s okay, she’s looking at her daughter, her baby girl. For the first time in an entire year, she’s looking at Mia in the flesh. Her entire being shakes with what feels like electricity at the prospect and in seconds, she’s darting inside the hospital room with Oliver quick on her heels.

She gasps as the tears pooled in her eyes threaten to overflow and that small noise has Mia’s eyes snapping away from the nurse in front of her.

The look on the little girl’s face will be burned into Felicity’s memory forever. Her mouth drops open and she melts, her eyes filling with tears as she looks at her in disbelief.

“Mama?” Her sweet little voice questions and Felicity steps forward, her tears spilling over as her baby’s voice registers in her ears for the first time in a year.

“Hi, baby.” Felicity smiles, her voice catching as she speaks and she cannot wait any longer, surging forward to sink onto the bed next to her. Mia looks shocked for a second, leaning back in fear before she slowly bends forward.

“I… Am I dreaming?” She questions softly, reaching her hand out and Felicity gasps as her small fingers land on her arm.

“No, Mimi, you’re here. It’s okay. You’re safe now.” Felicity tells her as softly as she can through her tears, moving to cover her small hand with her own. Mia gasps at the touch and Felicity’s heart aches, wondering how long it’s been since her baby has felt a loving touch.

“I… I’m home?” Mia asks, looking up at Felicity with such a hopeful expression and the clear fact that she doesn’t think it’s real makes the mother’s heart shatter all over again.

“Well we’re at the hospital but yes, you’re with me and Daddy.” Felicity speaks softly, not wanting to spook her, but she can’t resist reaching up to gently run her knuckles over Mia’s cheekbone. Mia closes her eyes, clearly breathing in the affection, before she slowly opens them again, taking a deep breath.

“Daddy?” She questions softly in disbelief, her gaze slipping from Felicity to where Oliver is stood by the bed, staring at them with a similar disbelief.

“Hi, baby girl.” He speaks just as gently, his face morphing into a small and teary smile.

It’s that that seems to push Mia off the edge and her small face contorts, the tears finally falling as her shoulder wrack with a sob.

“Oh Mia, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Oliver moves in immediately and Felicity moves too, both of them flanking her and pulling them into a family hug. Mia sobs but she grips them both tightly and the sight of her relieved tears sets Felicity off all over again and she finds herself sobbing. Oliver’s hand slides over her arm as they hold Mia tightly and Felicity’s tears only double when she realises that this is the first time she’s touched him for this long for months as well. Their family has been so fractured but with Mia home and safe now, she prays that they can start to heal.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Mia sniffles once she calms a little and Felicity smiles sadly, running a hand over her baby’s hair in the way that always used to comfort her.

“I know, baby, I know, but you’re home now. You’re safe.” Felicity reassures her, reaching out to brush the tears from Mia’s cheeks.

“I…” The little girl tries to speak but something catches in her throat and she swallows thickly with tears still slowly streaking their way down her face.

“It’s okay, Mimi, you don’t have to say anything.” Oliver reassures her gently, running his hand softly up her arm but Mia shakes her head taking a deep breath.

“I missed you.” She finally manages to get out and both Felicity and Oliver melt, pulling Mia closer gently once more.

“Oh baby, we missed you so much.” Felicity responds with her voice thick with emotions. How many times has she prayed over the last year to be able to speak those words to her baby again? The chance to do so is immeasurable.

“So, so much. More than you can ever know.” Oliver adds, bending to press a kiss to the top of Mia’s head and the little girl stutters for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“I’m really not dreaming?” She asks when she opens her eyes, looking up at Felicity with such a tentativeness to her hope that the mother aches for how many times her poor baby must have dreamed that she came home.

“It’s real, Mimi, promise.” Felicity nods, cupping her cheek and her heart twists when the little girl leans into it with no hesitation.

“William? Lou-Lou?” She asks after a moment, gasping as if the memory of her brothers has just come back to her and Oliver and Felicity both chuckle softly with small smiles. The thought of seeing them altogether, her three children, for the first time in so long makes both her heart fill with joy and her eyes start to water once more. She cannot believe that this is real but she won’t jinx it for the world.

“Outside, but you need some more rest first.” Oliver tells her gently and Mia sighs, leaning into Felicity’s arms as she reaches out to take Oliver’s hand.

“Don’t wanna sleep.” She states with a pout but it’s nothing like a child’s usual resistance to sleep. There’s something deeper there, worry and fear, and Felicity frowns, gently stroking the back of her hand over Mia’s face soothingly.

“Why not, baby? Aren’t you tired?” She asks in her softest voice and Mia sighs, snuggling back into her.

“Yes but what if I fall asleep and it turns out it is a dream? Or even if it’s not, I missed so much time with you anyway. I don’t want to miss any more.” Mia questions and the fear in her voice is utterly gut-wrenching. Felicity freezes, her eyes filled with tears again and she takes a deep breath, trying to find the words to reassure her but nothing comes out, her own fear and worry taking over.

She knows that, even if they can convince Mia to sleep, she will not. She won’t be able to take her eyes off of her, not even if her entire body screams out in process. Now that she has Mia back, she’s not letting her out of her sight again. Not ever.

That’s what got them into this and Felicity will be damned if her actions cause any of them so much pain all over again.

“Mama and I aren’t going anywhere and we’ve got all the time in the world now, my little lion.” Oliver swoops in, rubbing his hand over Mia’s tummy with a smile that Felicity is so grateful for as Mia takes a deep breath, looking at him with very serious eyes.

“Promise?” She asks and both Oliver and Felicity sharply intake breath at the weight of that word.

The promises they made to Mia, to each other, before last year, so many of them have been shattered, broken beyond repair. Does something as simple as a promise even hold weight anymore? Can something this big begin to heal with something so simple?

“Promise.” Oliver answers simply and Felicity relaxes with it, tilting her head to smile softly down at Mia.

“Double, double pinky swear promise.” She tells her with a levity she doesn’t think she’s used since the day Mia was taken. It’s a foreign feeling, but a welcome one, and as Mia nods and slips her eyes shut, Felicity wonders what tomorrow may bring.

* * *

“Oliver?”

The ex-vigilante jumps at the sound of his name.

It’s an hour or so later and he’s still sat on the same spot on the hospital bed, unable to take his eyes off of Mia.

He’s a little worried that if he does, she’ll disappear and he’ll realise that this is just a dream.

Felicity isn’t sleeping either. She too is staring at the girl asleep in her lap, absentmindedly trailing the backs of her fingers across Mia’s sweet face. It’s something Oliver’s watched her do with the kids a million times but seeing it now, with _Mia,_ makes him incredibly emotional in a way he cannot even describe.

He forces himself to turn, however, when he hears his name spoken again and he relaxes at the sight of Dr Schwartz stood in the doorway, tears forming in her eyes as she looks at the scene in front of her. Oliver shares a look with his wife, who nods before her eyes immediately snap back to Mia, and he nods, standing from the bed and stepping just outside the room with the doctor.

“Hi Elisa. Thank you for coming.” He tells the doctor and old friend honestly, wiping his dried tears off his face and standing a little taller.

“You know I’d do anything for your family.” Elisa tells her with a soft smile and Oliver sighs, nodding with a small smile of his own before he glances back into the room to see that Felicity and Mia have indeed not moved an inch.

“Speaking of…” Oliver prompts as Elisa turns her board over and she takes a deep breath.

“Speaking of… Mia’s okay physically. She’s very under the weight category for her age and height so we’ll need to make sure she eats well over the next few months but in general, she has the physical build of an athlete maybe a year or two older than her.”

Relief that there’s nothing obviously physically wrong soothes Oliver’s bones immensely but he freezes at Elisa’s last words, completely baffled as to what she means.

“An athlete?”

“Her musculature is defined to an extreme. It seems like she was training in some way or another wherever she was.” Elisa explains and Oliver’s brow furrows as he tries to focus, his mind spiralling at the thought of his eight-year-old intensively _training._ It’s unfathomable.

“Training? I don’t… I don’t understand.” He comments with a shake of his head, only taking a deep breath when Elisa lays a comforting hand on his arm.

“Oliver, the important thing is that she’s home and that she’s physically okay.” The doctor reminds him and Oliver takes a deep breath again, nodding his head.

“Of course.”

“The thing I wanted to talk to you about, however, was her mental health. You and Felicity know better than most the effect that your experiences can have on you and we don’t know what Mia’s been through. I’m going to refer you to a child psychiatrist, she’s the best in the city.” Elisa explains and Oliver swallows thickly.

“Thank you.” He tells her gently, nodding his head. He knows that despite Mia responding positively to them just now, there’s no way of knowing the effect her experiences of the past year have had on her and they’re going to have to be very careful as they reintroduce her back into her old life.

“This is going to be a long process, we don’t know what happened to her whilst she was gone but with it having been so long, I know you understand the importance of taking things one step at a time. With her tender age it’s going to be all that much harder, but if there’s anyone I know can come through this, it’s you and your family, Oliver.”

“Thank you, Elisa.” Oliver smiles gently, watching as the doctor smiles, takes a glance back in at Mia, and then walks away.

He too then turns back to the sight of his wife and baby girl and as grateful and relieved beyond belief he is to finally be able to say that, he knows that Elisa is right.

This is the start of a very long road that’s still littered with so many unanswered questions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia reunites with her brothers and the family head home. Felicity and Oliver have a much-needed talk and William makes an important decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, welcome back! I hope you enjoy the update, if you're so inclined, let me know what you think by leaving a kudos and/or comment. Thank you so much in advance for reading :)

Felicity knows that she should sleep.

She hasn’t done so in so long and she’s not going to be prepared for what she knows will be a long few days if she doesn’t.

But that’s logic, and logic hasn’t guided in a good few months.

This is Mia. She’s here and alive and Felicity is _terrified_ that if she closes her eyes, even for a moment, she’ll be gone and Felicity will find herself back in the nightmare year she’s just lived.

She can’t risk that. She _won’t._

So she watches Mia sleep. Her small chest rises and falls with each breath, each lift and concave proof of life that Felicity so desperately needs. Her little eyelashes flutter as she slumbers, clearly not entirely peaceful but away from the cruelties of the real world at the very least.

The beauty of her baby girl has always blown Felicity away. She’s never been able to work out how she and Oliver could have created something so perfect but after being separated from her for so long, that thought is only more intense.

Felicity sniffles slightly, unable to control her emotions, and the small sound has Mia’s eyes opening with a start. She looks around the room skittishly until her eyes finally land on Felicity. They narrow for a second and Felicity feels her heart clench as she realises that Mia’s discerning whether she’s real or not. Finally, it seems that her memory comes back to her and Mia relaxes, leaning back into Felicity’s embrace.

“Mama?” She questions after a long moment of silence, her fingers twitching in a way that’s familiar to Felicity for some reason.

“Yes, baby?” She answers softly, smoothing over Mia’s hair. It’s beyond help at this point, it needs a good wash and some care taken of it, but that can wait until they get home.

“How long was I gone?” Mia asks with her brow furrowed as she turns to look up at her mother. Felicity takes a deep breath before she smiles softly at Mia.

“We don’t have to talk about that right now, sweetheart. You just need to focus on getting better,” She tells her gently, reaching out to softly brush some of Mia’s wayward hair behind her ear and then cup her chin gently.

“No, I want to know, I need to know,” Mia insists, leaning away from the affection and Felicity sighs, her expression growing more serious as she nods. Mia may only be eight but she’s old enough to understand that what happened to her isn’t normal and Felicity cannot shy away from that, no matter how much she wants to.

“A year,” Felicity sighs, keeping her attention on the way Mia’s little forehead scrunches as she frowns and the way her lips purse. It’s those small details that Felicity has so dearly missed, the small things that she was terrified of forgetting. The relief that flows through her at the thought of not having to feel that pain again is indescribable.

“A year?” Mia questions incredulously and all Felicity can do is nod as her eyes begin to water once more. To know that Mia isn’t even aware of how much time since she was taken is heart-breaking.

“Practically to the day,” Felicity tells her honestly, keeping her voice level and calm as she continues to stroke her daughter’s hair soothingly.

“Oh,” Mia frowns, before she blinks a few times and looks up at Felicity. “That’s a long time.”

“It is. We missed you so much,” Felicity smiles, cupping her cheek once more and that elicits the smallest of smiles on Mia’s face.

“I missed you all too,” She tells Felicity softly and the nerves in her little voice reach into Felicity’s chest and tug painfully on her heart.

A small noise in the doorway has Mia’s head swivelling like a dart. Her small shoulders sink in relief when she sees it’s just Oliver who smiles at her softly as he enters the room and sits down on the edge of the bed.

“Hey there, Mimi, good nap?” He questions gently, his voice lighter than Felicity’s heard it in months. Mia bites her lip, looking over at her father nervously and Oliver and Felicity share a concerned glance at her sudden change in demeanour.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Mia admits nervously, her eyes widening as she looks to Oliver who freezes with a frown. Felicity knows exactly how he’s feeling, Mia’s words shock her too.

“It’s okay, baby. You needed the rest,” She finds herself reassuring and it seems that her voice pushes Oliver to react too, turning his expression back to a gentle smile as he nods in agreement.

“Are you feeling a bit better?” Oliver asks, reaching over to gently caress Mia’s arm and the little girl sighs, nodding her head.

“I’m fine, Daddy,” She tells him with a determined nod and Oliver smiles, rising onto his knee so that he can lean over and press a kiss to her temple.

“Okay, my brave girl. How do you feel about some more visitors?” He questions gently and Mia frowns as she clearly thinks about who else might be there to see her.

“William? Lou-Lou?” She questions excitedly and Felicity smiles at the sound of actual joy in her voice. It clenches her heart and she prays they can elicit that sort of excitement much more in the coming weeks and months.

“That’s right,” Oliver confirms and Mia squirms a little excitedly. She stops herself after a moment, levelling her shoulders and turning to look at her father with the smallest of smiles.

Felicity frowns as she watches it, it clear that Mia just stemmed her own excitement. Why? It’s not as if they’ll be mad that she’s excited to see her brothers.

“Please,” Mia tells him and Oliver frowns but quickly covers it with a gentle smile as he stands.

“I’ll go grab them,” He tells her with a reassuring smile, sending Felicity a confused look as he reaches the door but Felicity feels just as baffled as he looks.

“Mama?” Mia suddenly asks, gaining Felicity’s attention.

“Yeah, baby?” Felicity smiles, hoping to reassure her daughter that she can be as excited as she wants to be.

“Is Lou-Lou bigger?” Mia questions with a nervous frown and Felicity freezes.

She’s unsure as to how to answer this question. She knows that Mia is hoping for her to reply in the negative, to tell her that everything is as it was before she was taken, but that’s just not the truth. Lucas is a toddler and he’s grown immensely over the past year. Felicity knows she can’t just lie to Mia though.

“Well, he has grown a little, sweetheart,” She compromises, keeping her tone light and the smile on her face. Mia’s face falls and Felicity feels her heart drop with it.

“Oh.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m right here, okay?” Felicity whispers, cuddling her close and Mia goes with her, snuggling into her side.

“Yes, Mama," She whispers and Felicity can hear the determination in her voice.

“My brave girl,” Felicity tells her, turning to place a kiss on the top of her head.

“I heard there was a little munchkin in here.”

Mia’s head swivels to the door once more and a smile spreads across her face when she recognises William stood there.

“William!” She states, far less excitedly than she had earlier, but Felicity can still tell that she’s very glad to see her big brother.

William himself is doing a remarkable job of holding his own emotion in. Felicity can see that his eyes are shining with tears and his expression is slightly disbelieving, but overall, he presents just as a smiling and approachable big brother.

“Hi there, Miss Mia. We’ve missed you so much!” He tells her with a grin as he enters the room properly. He’s holding something behind his back and he slowly settles on the spot Oliver just vacated with a reassuring smile to Mia.

“I missed you too,” Mia smiles and Felicity notices how her hands are shaking slightly. She initially thinks it might be nerves but then she notices how tense Mia’s shoulders are and she realises that the little girl is holding herself back from reaching out to her brother.

William clearly notices too because he drops whatever he’s holding and scoots a little closer to them on the hospital bed. He’s clearly being careful to move slowly and Mia watches him carefully too but he merely holds his hands out with a small smile. “Can I get a hug?”

Mia watches him for a moment before she nods carefully. She doesn’t make any move towards him but William doesn’t let that deter him, lifting his arms a little. He makes it very clear that he wants this to come from Mia herself and eventually, after a few moments, she crawls out of Felicity’s lap and into William’s arms.

She freezes for a moment as William’s arms wrap around her but then she’s turning into him and sinking into his arms as desperately as she had with both Felicity and Oliver. It chokes Felicity up, to see her babies reunited after so long.

“I have something for you,” William tells her after a long moment, reaching behind him to reveal that what he was holding is actually Mia’s favourite stuffed animal. He hands it over to the little girl with an excited smile, clearly hoping to elicit an equally as excited reaction from her.

Instead, Mia takes it with a calculating look. She stares down at the stuffed animal with a frown, blinking with an unreadable look. Felicity wishes she could know what her daughter is thinking, especially as she places the bear to the side and smiles politely at her brother. “Thank you.”

William frowns at her reaction, gesturing to the bear as he continues to speak. “You remember Beary? I got him for you just after you were born. You used to love him.”

Mia looks over at the bear and nods, with no emotion evident on her brain still. “I remember, thanks for bringing him, Will,” She tells him simply and William nods, seemingly understanding that pressing it isn’t going to get anywhere.

Felicity’s heart aches. It seems that all of Mia’s carefree nature has disappeared. Her daughter is only eight years old, but she seems so reluctant to act like a kid. It’s heart-wrenching.

“Will! Will!”

They all jump as Lucas’ voice suddenly sounds around the small hospital room. Felicity follows the sound to see her son reaching out towards his brother from Oliver’s arms in the doorway. Mia scuttles back a little on the bed and Oliver sends Felicity an apologetic look, trying to keep Lucas in his arms, but the three-year-old just keeps reaching towards William.

William just smiles, reaching out to take Lucas from Oliver’s arms and place him down on his lap facing Mia. Finally being in his brother’s arms seems to calm the toddler, though Mia is still watching her little brother cautiously.

“C’mere kiddo, you remember Miss Mia now, don’t you?” William speaks gently, rubbing Lucas’ arm and the three-year-old’s face splits into a grin. 

“Mimi!” He calls, waving at Mia who freezes, looking back towards Felicity nervously. Felicity smiles encouragingly, nodding her head, and Mia takes a deep breath, looking back to her little brother.

“Hi Lou-Lou,” She replies, waving back at him. Her voice is quiet and Felicity tucks her reaction away in the back of her mind to address later.

Lucas is undeterred, however, crawling out of William’s lap and into Mia’s. “I missed you, Mimi.”

“Oh!” Mia exclaims as Lucas’ little arms wrap around her. She freezes for a moment before she tugs his small body into a proper hug and Felicity feels her tears start to flow once more at the sight.

The bed next to her dips and Felicity glances over to see Oliver sat next to her. His hand reaches out, grasping her and squeezing gently. It’s comfort she hasn’t felt in a year, comfort she’s so dearly missed, and as they stare at their kids, finally reunited after a year of pain and turmoil, Felicity allows herself to hope that it’s comfort they can find their way back to.

“You okay, baby?” Felicity asks softly, reaching to gently brush Mia’s hair when she notices that the little girl’s eyes are welling with tears.

Mia swallows thickly, looking around all of them. Felicity watches as her daughter blinks back her tears. “I just missed you all… a lot.”

“We missed you too, my little Mia-bear,” Oliver smiles, his free hand reaching out to first ruffle Lucas’ hair, before he rubs his thumb over Mia’s cheek to wipe her tears away.

“I’m not little, Daddy,” She replies with a frown but Oliver merely smiles, rising up to press a kiss to her forehead.

“You will always be little to me, Mia.”

Felicity looks up, her eyes meeting William’s, and she shares a moment with her son, both of them smiling as the feeling of wholeness that has been missing since Mia was taken finally begins to seep back into her bones.

“How are we doing in here?”

The small family are interrupted by Dr Schwartz appearing in the doorway. They all turn to see her smiling at them and Felicity reciprocates the smile, shifting a little closer to Mia when she sees her daughter shift nervously. William scoops Lucas off of Mia’s lap, rounding the bed to stand by Oliver so that the doctor can access Mia and the screens by her bed.

“Hi,” Mia tells the doctor softly as Elisa approaches the bed and she smiles at Mia warmly.

“Hello there, Mia. How are you feeling?” She asks gently, noting down Mia’s vitals from the screens before she turns her attention fully to the eight-year-old.

“Good,” Mia replies simply with a small shrug and Dr Schwartz smiles at her, nodding her head.

“You look good too. Your vitals are pretty much all up to normal. I’m going to give your mommy and daddy some information on making sure they give you the right food so it doesn’t upset your tummy, but I think you are free to go home,” The doctor explains, looking to Felicity and Oliver as well and they both nod in agreement. Felicity’s heart soars at the idea of taking Mia home, of tucking her into her own bed, seeing her alive back in her room that has symbolised such pain for them all for the past year.

“Home?” Mia asks, her eyebrows rising as she turns to look at Felicity with such a sweet hope in her eye that Felicity finds herself tearing up again.

“Yup! Once one of your parents signs this form, you are free to go. We’re going to ask you to come in regularly and check-in and I’ve already spoken to Daddy about you going to talk to someone but he can explain all that, okay?” Dr Schwartz explains, looking over at Oliver who nods. He mentioned to Felicity earlier, whilst Mia was still asleep, that Elisa was referring their daughter to a child psychiatrist and Felicity knows it’s the right move. They have no idea what happened to Mia and she needs to process it in as healthy of a way as possible.

“Talk to someone? Like a therapist? Like Mama and Daddy go see?”

Mia is no ordinary kid, she wasn’t even before she was taken. Oliver and Felicity live very different lives to the average person and there are consequences of those lives. Therapy is something they’ve always been open about with their kids and they understand that it’s something that helps them get better, rather than something to be ashamed of.

“Sort of. She’s called a child psychiatrist. She just wants to talk to you and help you understand what happened a bit better, okay?” Dr Schwartz explains gently to Mia who shrugs.

“I guess…”

“We’ll answer any questions you have, baby. Don’t worry, it’s nothing to be scared of,” Felicity reassures Mia, rubbing her hand over the child’s back. Mia frowns but leans back into her mother and Felicity is glad to see that she’s still seeking comfort from her.

“Okay,” Mia whispers, continuing to watch the doctor with a discerning expression.

“Alright then, do you have any questions for me, Mia?” Elisa questions, keeping her expression and voice light.

Mia frowns, a discerning expression on her face. She stares at the doctor for a long moment, before she tilts her head and bites the inside of her cheek. “You said you were going to tell Mama and Daddy what I can eat. I still get to eat healthy, right?”

Felicity frowns at Mia’s question. She’s a kid. She’s never been concerned with eating healthy. Sure, they’ve been very lucky that she’s not a picky eater or that she hates every vegetable like some kids seem to, but she’s never spoken about food like this before. Dr Schwartz seems a little taken aback but she schools her expression quickly, smiling down at Mia.

“Of course. We’re just going to make sure we start off with some simple food so we don’t overwhelm your tummy. You haven’t been eating very much and if you suddenly eat your daddy’s famous chicken tagliatelle, it might make your tummy hurt,” She keeps her voice light and Mia nods along, clearly taking in every word.

“Oh. Okay.” Mia's shoulders shrug again, looking down at the blanket across her legs as she sighs. Felicity once again wishes she could know what her daughter is thinking right now. If she could know that, she could help her. The fact that she can’t makes her feel like the worst mother.

“Any other questions?” Dr Schwartz questions with a smile.

“I don’t think so,” Mia shakes her head and the doctor nods with a smile, handing her clipboard and pen to Oliver and gesturing to where he should sign.

“If you do have any, you can ask either of us and if we don’t know, we can call Dr Schwartz, okay?” Felicity reassures Mia, trying to not concentrate on her stomach plummeting as Oliver has to release her hand to sign Mia’s release papers.

“Okay,” Mia nods, sighing as she leans back into Felicity. She seems so weighed down and it breaks Felicity’s heart. This is her baby girl, she’s just a child. Her biggest burdens should be trying to understand fractions.

“Thank you,” Oliver tells the doctor as he hands the papers back and Dr Schwartz checks them, before nodding.

“Alright then, you are all free to go home,” She confirms and Felicity cannot help the smile that spreads over her face.

“Thank you so much,” Felicity tells her with a grateful smile but the doctor waves her off.

“Of course. Bye Miss Mia, see you soon,” Dr Schwartz smiles, nodding at them all before she turns and leaves the hospital room.

“Are we going home?” Lucas speaks up from where William holding him and Felicity smiles as Oliver turns to look at him, reaching out to wiggle Lucas’ foot.

“We certainly are, Lou-Lou,” He confirms to the toddler with a grin and Felicity feels a contentment settle in her chest at the levity in her husband’s voice. She’s missed it dearly.

That doesn’t last long, however, because the next words out of Lucas’ mouth have Felicity freezing.

“Is Daddy coming too?”

Mia immediately starts looking between Oliver and Felicity, her eyes wide with worry and panic. “Why wouldn’t Daddy be coming?”

“It’s okay, Mimi, I’m coming. Don’t worry,” Oliver reassures her, rubbing his hand up her arm.

“Daddy sleeps in the bunker,” Lucas continues and the matter of fact way he says it shoots through Felicity like a bullet. That was only ever meant to be a temporary thing, but for Lucas, a year is a third of his short life… of course, he thinks of it as normal.

“You do?” Mia asks incredulously, her jaw-dropping and Felicity winces at the pain that she sees in the eight-year-old’s eyes.

“Not anymore,” Oliver answers with gritted teeth, before he takes a deep breath and paints a reassuring smile over his features. “It’s okay, Mimi, I’m coming home.”

They set things into motion after that. William, bless the miracle that he is, had the foresight to also grab some of Mia’s looser fitting clothes from her closet when he darted in to grab Beary. After the nurse comes in to remove Mia’s cannula, Felicity takes her to the bathroom and helps her into the green sweatpants and grey t-shirt. Felicity has to force herself to school her expression when she catches sight of the abdominal definition of Mia’s stomach. Her eight-year-old almost has a six-pack.

Mia remains quiet and does most of the changing herself, moving quickly and efficiently. “Is that good, Mama?” She asks when she’s done and Felicity smiles, still amazed at the fact that she’s hearing her baby’s voice again.

“Almost, it’s cold so we need a coat too,” Felicity explains, wrapping the jacket around Mia’s shoulders and zipping it up once she’s fed her arms through the holes.

“If you’re strong enough, you don’t need a jacket, Mama,” Mia comments and Felicity freezes. It’s very similar to Oliver’s ‘I don’t get cold’ statement.

“Maybe, but a jacket is nice too. Keeps you nice and snuggly,” Felicity answers with a smile, tugging gently on the collar of Mia’s coat to right it and it makes the child smile, making Felicity’s heart glow. “Right then, little lady, we are good to go.”

When they make it back into the main part of the hospital room, it’s to see John stood in the doorway talking to Oliver.

“Uncle John!” Mia smiles with a wave and the room turns to look at them.

John grins, bending down to Mia’s level as she approaches him. He’s clearly emotional, but he hides it behind a wide smile, clearly not wanting to shock Mia too badly. “It is very good to see you, Mia.”

“I missed you,” Mia tells him with a tentative smile and John’s smile widens.

“I missed you too. Very much,” He replies with a grin and a wink before he stands. “Back entrance is closed for refurbishment so I’m afraid we’re going to have to face the cameras.”

Felicity groans. She knows that the media will be all over this. They’re public figures and the story of Mia’s disappearance was one of the biggest stories the city has seen in years, especially since Oliver hung up his hood. They’ve been mostly respected with the stray reporter here and there but Felicity knows that with Mia coming home, there’s going to be a wave of media coverage that they cannot ignore.

“How bad is it?” She questions with a wince, but John merely turns to look at her in a way that has her shaking her head. “Right, silly question.”

Her wince only worsens when they reach the front of the hospital. Dinah’s officers are lining a path down to their awaiting car but on either side, paparazzi and journalists are pushing against each other in two huge crowds, all of them pushing to get the latest scoop.

Felicity looks over to Oliver, who is sighing, before he turns to Mia, reaching out his hands. “C’mere Mimi, hide your head in my neck, okay?”

“I’m a big girl, Daddy. I can handle it,” Mia assures, looking at his outreached arms with a frown.

“I know you can, my brave girl, but this will make me feel better, okay?” Oliver smiles and Felicity frowns. Oliver seems to have figured out that Mia is looking to prove herself to others, so if Oliver tells her it will make him feel better to carry her through it, she’ll hopefully listen.

“Okay,” Mia relents and allows her father to pick her up. She looks so small like that and she can see Oliver’s face melt as he holds their daughter properly for the first time in so long.

Blinking back her own tears, she turns to reach for Lucas, only to see that William already has the small boy held in his arms. “I got him, Fliss.”

Felicity smiles gratefully at him, taking a deep breath as she turns to look back at the throng of reporters.

“Mama?” Mia suddenly calls and she turns to see her daughter peeking out of Oliver’s neck. She’s clearly trying to not show she’s scared, but Felicity is her mother and she knows her baby’s tells, even after all this time.

“I’m here, baby,” Felicity smiles reassuringly, moving to Oliver’s side. She runs a hand over Mia’s back, rising onto her toes to press a kiss to her temple. Oliver shifts Mia in his arms, holding her securely with one and Felicity is grateful when his other slips between them to link with her own.

“Hon,” He whispers, squeezing her hand and Felicity feels her heart clench at the name. Good lord, she’s missed him.

“Are we ready?” John asks, looking out at them all, and Oliver and Felicity share a nod before they look back at their friend and brother.

“Let’s go home.”

* * *

Mia and Lucas both fall asleep in the car ride home. As much as Oliver wishes Mia had been awake for her return to their home, both he and Felicity agree that her getting to rest is far more important. Oliver carries her inside as he has done a thousand times before and cries as he finally tucks her into bed, safe where she belongs.

He knows that the sheets are clean. It’s something none of them have been able to talk Felicity out of doing for the past year. Every week, she washes the sheets on Mia’s bed and airs the room so that it will be ready for the day Mia comes home.

It takes both him and Felicity a lot to leave Mia’s room and allow her to rest. The sight of her asleep in her bed, where they’ve both prayed to find her for so long, it’s such a blessing and the fear that it’ll disappear if they look away is very real.

Eventually, however, Oliver is aware of the fact that Felicity is pretty much swaying from the exhaustion setting into her body and he feels a familiar sort of fatigue. With quite a bit of under the breath protesting, he finally convinces her to move through to their own bedroom.

The room makes him freeze as he enters it. It’s been so long since he’s been in here, the last time he can remember was Mia’s birthday four months ago. That was a day filled with so much pain and suffering for them, to enter it now with his heart feeling so unbelievably light is odd.

He keeps his concentration on Felicity, watching the way she takes in the room with a shuddering breath before sinking to sit on the bed. She closes her eyes for a moment, taking another deep breath, as her shoulders slump.

“Are you okay?” Oliver questions softly, lingering at the end of the bed. He doesn’t want to intrude on her space, it’s been so long, but seeing her so clearly suffering is heart-breaking. It reminds him of how near-sighted his actions of the past year have been, and whilst he doesn’t regret channelling all his energy into looking for Mia, he knows that it has caused chasms within his marriage that they now need to start to rebuild.

Felicity turns to look at him, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face and she lets out another long sigh. She chuckles a little incredulously, shaking her head. “I don’t even know where to begin with describing how I’m feeling right now.”

“Yeah, I feel you there,” Oliver lets out a breath with a chuckle before he swallows thickly. As nervous as it makes him, he feels like he needs to clear the air right now so that they can move forward in the right way and help Mia to adjust properly. Taking a deep breath, he builds up the nerve to sit down a few feet away from his wife. “Felicity, about what Lucas said earlier…”

“Oliver. It’s okay,” Felicity interrupts, shaking her head but Oliver grits his teeth, his frustration at himself building all over again. He feels so guilty. His son should know the loving and safe environment Felicity and Oliver worked so hard to build for their kids before Mia was taken. He should know that his parents are always there for him, but they’ve been in panic mode for a year now. It’s not okay.

“No, it’s not. Our child should not think it’s normal for me to sleeping away from home. Mia should not be scared about the possibility of you and I not being a team in this. I… I’ve been in crisis mode for so long, we both have,” Oliver sighs helplessly, laying his hand out on the comforter between them. He watches the way Felicity’s eyes immediately flick down towards it and she blinks for a moment, sighing before she nods.

“Yeah… it’s been a long year,” She winces and Oliver can see the weight this burden has brought down on her. It breaks his heart to know how much stronger they would have been together through this all.

“This isn’t the end of it, Felicity. We’ve got such a long road ahead of us, I just… I want you to know that I want us to face this together, not separated in the way we have for the past year,” He tells her honestly, reaching his hand out closer to her and Felicity takes a deep breath.

Oliver’s heart soars as she reaches out and slides her hand into his. “I want that too.”

“Yeah?” He cannot help but ask, feeling as nervous as he did asking her out for dinner that first time. This feels like a rebirth for them and he’s not naïve enough to think that their struggles are over. After all, they still don’t know who took Mia or what she endured whilst she was gone. But he hopes that they can face it together.

“Oliver… I’ve missed you. It was something I didn’t allow myself to think about, all my energy was going into the search for Mia. There’s still a lot we don’t know, a lot we need to figure out, but this needs to be a watershed for us. A point from which we start to face this together.”

Felicity looks down at their hands as she speaks. Oliver can hear the lump in her throat and the tears starting to build in her eyes once more are a punch to the gut but her words make his heart leap. Finally, as she reaches out and covers their enjoined hands, he feels a sense of contentment wash over him.

“For Mia, for Lucas and William, but also for us,” He tells her with a smile, shifting a little closer to her.

“Yes,” She smiles too and it tugs at the deepest part of Oliver’s heart. He knows that no matter what, this woman will always be the love of his life and that they need to start to treating each other as such again.

“I love you,” Oliver cannot resist telling her, that familiar pull he’s suppressed for the past year tugging him towards her like a magnet.

“I love you too,” Felicity whispers, her eyes fluttering shut with a shudder as their foreheads press against each other.

“Sorry to interrupt.”

They turn at the sound of a voice to see William in the doorway, a small smile on his face as he looks at them. They separate as they turn to properly face him but Oliver holds onto his wife’s hand.

“No, no, come in, honey,” Felicity shakes her head, gesturing William into the room and the nineteen-year-old nods, clearly nervous as he does as asked.

“Is everything okay, bud?” Oliver questions with a frown, concerned to see him so nervous on what should be such a happy day.

“Yeah, I… I was going to talk to you earlier but I guess things are a little different now. I had an email from my supervisor at college earlier. They need to know whether I’m extending my interruption or if I’m going back to campus in the fall.”

Oliver sighs. William interrupting his master’s course is one of the worst side effects of all of this. They had insisted in the beginning that he really didn’t have to but William had pushed and Oliver cannot deny that having his eldest son around has been both calming and incredibly helpful.

“Well, that’s a decision for you to make, honey. Whatever you want to do, we’ll support you,” Felicity tells him with a supportive smile but William just shakes his head.

“I’m going to extend my interruption. Possibly see if I can do some distance courses after Christmas break but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be planning to move back to Cambridge right now,” He tells them before he bites the inside of his cheek and Oliver frowns, knowing that it’s one of his son’s tells.

“If you want to go, William, we’ll make it work,” Oliver reassures him, tilting his head as he implores his son to put himself first.

“No, you need me here,” William declares with a nod and Oliver feels the sigh that Felicity lets out from next to him.

“William, sweetheart, this isn’t on your shoulders,” She tells him softly but William just shakes his head once more.

“But it is… can you honestly tell me either of you could tell me Lucas’ full routine right now?”

Felicity freezes next to him and Oliver’s shoulders sink at the words. His son’s right. They’ve been relying on him to look after Lucas so that they can throw their entire selves into searching for Mia. It’s been incredibly unfair of them.

“William…” Felicity tries but William holds up his hand.

“No, it’s okay. I want to be here, I want to help. Mia needs us all to help her adjust and I need to continue help Lucas,” He tells them with a reluctant sigh and Oliver feels his heart sink.

“William…”

“Seriously, it’s fine. I came back to help because I love you all. This is where I need to be,” The teenager tells them with a small smile but Oliver feels so awful. There’s so much about the past year they need to fix and that’s before they even begin to help Mia heal from her ordeal.

“Things are going to be different. We’re going to be here more,” Oliver tells his son honestly and William frowns for a moment before he nods.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“We love you so much, William, and we’re so grateful for all your help,” Felicity swallows thickly, her eyes filling with tears once more and William’s expression melts as he turns his attention to his stepmother.

“I love you,” He replies simply and without any judgement to his voice. It lessens the pain in Oliver’s heart a little and when William turns that affectionate expression to him, it eases it further.

They’ve got a long way to go, so much damage to try and repair. But they’re a family that has always believed in the power of love and connection. Oliver knows that getting back to that and concentrating on that is what is going to get them through this.

Suddenly, the sound of soft whimpering travels into the silent room and they all share a look before darting down the corridor.

_Mia._

She’s having a nightmare.

Oliver is the first to arrive at her room.

Mia has kicked the blankets off of her and is squirming in her pyjamas, small whimpers leaving her mouth as she thrashes around in obvious discomfort. Oliver feels his heart stop for a moment, an immediate panic response to seeing his baby in distress, but he snaps out of it quickly and moves towards her.

He knows from experience of his own, Felicity’s, and William’s nightmare episodes that touching her isn’t a good idea. He may be far bigger than her so there’s no chance of her hurting him, but it will still shock her awake and make her ability to register reality harder. He instead calls her name, bending down next to the bed so that she can feel his presence and hear his voice. Eventually, after a few moments, her eyes fly open and she jolts up, looking around the room skittishly.

“Mia? Hey Mia? It’s Daddy, it’s okay, you’re home,” Oliver reassures her, keeping his voice light as Mia’s eyes snap to look at him and widen.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” She asks immediately and Oliver frowns, confused how her immediate reaction is concern for him.

“No, it’s okay, baby. I’m just worried about you,” He tells her with a small smile, tugging up the blankets so that they cover her once more. Mia sighs, laying back down on the bed and turning her face so that she’s looking at Oliver.

“It’s okay. They’re just dreams. Sometimes they don’t make me feel too good but I’m strong. I can handle them,” Mia answers with a small shrug and Oliver feels his heart break at the simple words.

She’s eight years old.

She doesn’t have to be strong.

“Oh baby,” He sighs, blinking back the tears that form in his eyes.

Mia clearly misreads them for something else, because her eyes widen and she shakes her head rapidly. “I’m going to be helpful, Daddy, I promise. I won’t be a burden.”

Oliver’s heart just shatters further at that and he reaches out, smoothing Mia’s hair away from her face. “My Mia-Girl, you could _never_ be a burden to me. Whatever you do. You are my baby girl and I love you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Mia replies but Oliver can tell that she doesn’t quite believe it. Looking back at the doorway, to see Felicity covering her mouth as tears run down her cheeks in reaction to their daughter’s words, Oliver knows that showing Mia just how much they love her for who she is will be their most important mission yet.

**Author's Note:**

> just testing something


End file.
